[Jennifer in Florida]

MSNBC confirms the no surface to air missle could reach 200,000 feet.

How high can a surface to air missile reach?

[SlightOfTongue]

How high can a surface to air missile reach?

Not that high(200,000 feet). But if someone is misusing the GPS (24 satellite global position system), it may be possible. However, I was of the understanding that any targeting of aircraft would be restricted to the Woodpecker Grid which encircles the globe at about 13,000 feet, which was also about the altitude of TWA Flight 800 when it exploded.

But systems are always being improved, to what end or if that is a positive thing - who knows?

[steveegg]

According to FAS, some sample maximum altitudes for missiles:

Patriot PAC-2 (the follow-on to the Scud-"buster" in Desert Storm) - 24,000 meters (79,000 feet)

SA-2 (of U-2 and Vietnam "fame") - 27,000 to 40,000 meters (89,000-132,000 feet)

SA-10 (S-300P, rough equivalent to the Patriot) - 30,000 meters (99,000 feet).

All of these are significantly short of the 200,000 feet the Columbia was at when it broke apart.